Galactic Alliance Marine Corps
The Galactic Alliance Marine Corps is the most well-known and the most versatile branch of Alliance Defense Force, and is most often stationed aboard Alliance Fleet ships. History The Galactic Alliance Marine Corps became its own branch of the Alliance Defense Force after the liberation of Coruscant and the formation of a Galactic Alliance. It remains one of the most highly trained and specialized units, with its roots in the Alliance Special Forces. As the former New Repulic grew, the defense of member worlds took higher priority than assault. The newly-fashioned Alliance Defense Force needed a mobile element that could be staffed aboard the vessels of the Alliance Defense Force Fleet. The marines were soon used for everything from zero-g combat and boarding operations to full ground assaults against Imperial targets. Constantly on high-risk action, they were second only to the Alliance Starfighter Corps in terms of casualties. Since Marine casualties in engagements were often significant, many of them became hardened soldiers very quickly. As the Alliance's military continued to downsize, it eventually became apparent that the advanced boarding and combat training Marines recieved made them ideally suited for clandestine operations in numerous other venues. Their mission was expanded to allow Marines to be utilized as effective operators across the galaxy. With the formation of the Galactic Alliance, the Marine Corps' primary mission is now almost exclusively clandestine operations. Every Marine is called upon to be an expert not only at their assigned job- armorer, supply, administration- but at all the tasks demanded of a highly trained and well-disciplined infantry warfighter. Marines are heavy-combat troops, first and foremost. There is no such thing as an 'Infantry' speciality- every Marine is Infantry. The only things that differentiate one Marine from the next it is time in a combat position and specialized training for combat roles. If a situation warrants their support, Marines can rapidly mobilize and deploy as a highly elite infantry field outfit, providing an extraordinary level of basic tactical support or field operations in advance of a combat push. Unlike some branches of the military, the Marine officer leadership is some of the best and most innovative to be found on or off the field of battle. Marine officers have a long tradition of being in front of the formation in war or peacetime, and it is a rare Lieutenant or Captain indeed who hasn't bled for his or her men. They fight on the ground shoulder to shoulder with their subordinates, putting Marine technology and training to use to provide real-time guidance to their platoon, company, or even battalion as to enemy action. It is a rare officer indeed who is not in the thick of things with his NCO leadership, providing guidance even while under fire. In the Marine rank hierarchy, officers are trained as overall tactical and strategic warfare experts, while NCOs focus on advanced individual skills and training techniques. Officers are commissioned only after being recommended to the position by a senior NCO in their chain of command, and the selection and training process is exceptionally rigorous. Marine Operators remain active for as long as they are physically capable of doing so. It is not uncommon to see high-ranking NCOs and officers acting operationally. Some senior members of the Marine Corps had their beginnings back in the early engagements and battles of the Galactic Civil War. A few are survivors of such momentous battles as the Battle Of Hoth. Most cut their teeth during the campaign to blaze a path through the Imperial infrastructure to a then-paramount liberation of Coruscant in the early years of the Rebellion. With their primary mission being highly sensitive covert operations, the Alliance Marine Corps rarely functions as a standing military force. They are on almost constant deployment or movement across the galaxy and they operate with minimal jurisdictional guidance or external controls. Clandestine operations are conducted only by Primary Recon/Operation Squads. Roughly 25% of the Corps, or around 60,000 personnel, are trained as these direct-action operators with specialties in threat neutralization, exfiltration, infiltration, espionage, and sabotage. The remaining 75% function as support staff in a reserve capacity, but can be easily deployed as elite infantry if called for. Recent Events With the retaking of Coruscant and the slow withdrawal of the Empire from their previous strategic footholds, the Marine Corps was retasked and organized under the Alliance Defense Force as highly elite, special-task commando units. Though the rebalancing of galactic power has reduced the need for standing military forces, it has greatly increased the need for discreet, highly expert military operators who are accustomed to operating covertly and with a minimum of command and control. Structure The Marine Corps is commanded at the highest level by the Commandant of the Marines, who reports directly to the Alliance Defense Force Chiefs of Staff. It is split up into five corps, each commanded by a General and generally assigned to one of the Navy's fleets, and is further segmented according to each corps' assignments or the needs of the Alliance. All marines stationed on a base or Naval vessel fall under the command of their Marine Operations Commander, who answers to the base's or ship's commanding officer as well as the Marine Brigade Commander. Marine units based on smaller facilities, such as asteroid-borne outposts, are often commanded in entirety by the Battalion Commander himself. The Marine Corps is known for working closely along with the Navy, Starfighter Corps, and Army divisions of the Military. Ranks Commissioned Ranks * General: Grade 13 Held only by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. * Lt. General: Grade 12 * Major General: Grade 11 * Brig. General: Grade 10 * Colonel: Grade 9 * Lieutenant Colonel: Grade 8 * Major: Grade 7 * Captain: Grade 6 * 1st Lieutenant: Grade 5 * 2nd Lieutenant: Grade 4 * Combat Officer: Grade 3 * 2nd Combat Officer: Grade 2 * Cadet: Grade 1 Enlisted Ranks * Sergeant Major: Grade E-9 * First Sergeant: Grade E-8 * Master Sergeant: Grade E-8 * Gunnery Sergeant: Grade E-7 * Staff Sergeant: Grade E-6 * Sergeant: Grade E-5 * Corporal: Grade E-4 * Lance Corporal: Grade E-3 * Private 1st. Class: Grade E-2 * Private: Grade E-1 Deployment * New Republic Marine Corps: 250,000 This is the entire Marine Corps. All five corps are controlled by the Commandant of the Marines. * Corps (I-V): 50,000 Each corps is headquartered aboard the flagships of the New Republic Navy's main fleets and is commanded by a Major General. The corps' are further broken into five brigades. Brigades and smaller units may be reassigned as necessary for specific missions or to supplement personnel loss. * Brigade: 10,000 Each battle group is assigned at least one brigade. Other brigades are used to supplement space stations and planetary bases throughout the corps' assigned sector. Brigades are typically controleld by a Brigadier General or a Colonel, and are headquartered on fleet ships and military bases. The brigade commander can serve as a batallion commander during direct engagements, and can also take operational command in the field, should either be neccessary. Brigade commanders report directly to the head of their respective corps, and have subordinate to them ten to fifteen battalions. Typically, there is a company sized unit assigned to the commander as headquarters staff. * Battalion: 300-800 This is an entire starship's Marine contingent, or an entire base's combat batallion. They are commanded by a Lt. Colonel, though it is possible for a full-bird Colonel to retain command if he declines reassignment following promotion. The battalion is the largest combat unit the Marines have; brigades and corps are only assigned as a matter of operational efficiency. Battalions contain two to six companies and one platoon for headquarters operations. * Company: 180 (15 officers, 165 enlisted) The line company is the smallest self-operational unit marines possess. Companies are commanded by a Captain (occasionally a Major). These commanders are empowered with operational authority in their given areas, responsible to report only matters of incidence or conflicting authority with the battalion commander. Four platoons and one headquarters squad are subordinate to the company commander. * Platoon: 42 Platoons are led by a 2nd or 1st Lieutenant and a senior Non-Commisioned Officer. * Operational Unit: The Operational Units are an ad hoc assembly of active company operators assembled together to create a special team for a specific mission. OUs are never officially recognized, and are cobbled together at the requirements of the mission. At the conclusion of the mission, they are disbanded and return to their regular duties in the company. This makes section assignments in the Marines extremely fluid affairs and allows a tremendous amount of latitude for rapid assembly of needed manpower. Tactical Configurations * The Squad - 'Primary Recon/Operation Squad', often consists of ten members. Here is a sample squad configuration for deep-mission operations. ** 1 Junior Officer (Team Leader) (a 2nd or 1st Combat Officer) ** 1 Technical Specialist (standard kit, slicing and comms equipment) ** 1 Medic (Standard kit + extra medical equipment) ** 1 Anti-Tank Gunner (HH-15 or PLX-2m, carbine) ** 1 Heavy Rifleman (armed with a (15)E-Web or repeating blaster, sidearm) ** 1 Sharpshooter (armed with an E-17D or a modified A280 ** 1 Engineer (armed with extra explosives, standard kit) ** 2 Troopers (armed with either A280s or 36-Ts - both issued a mid-range grenade launcher) ** The 'Tenth Man', a position of respect and honor, belongs to the Squad NCO, either a Sergeant or Staff Sergeant. * The Company - Above the Platoon level, Marine units quickly becomes a matter of field support. Marine Company elements are staffed by the Alliance Marine Support Corps, which consist primarily of Marines who have an occupational speciality in a non-operationally essential skill, or Marines who have withdrawn from operations but not left the Corps. All support Marines are still required to maintain exceptional infantry skillsets- "Every Marine, a Rifleman, first". Only PRO squads are considered Operational units as combat assets. Marine Company elements are assigned as a matter of logistical support to assist the operational teams in their missions. Company elements provide maneuver and task support to the Operation leaders, from logistics to intelligence coordination, Marine Aviation Units, and coordination with other Alliance assets. If required, Company sized elements can muster as a line combat unit and deploy as regular infantry. In these situations, Marine units often act as shocktroopers that break open the initial entry for follow-on forces to exploit. Equipment Used by Marines The marines are outfitted with some of the most advanced and cutting-edge weapons and equipment, making them a tough shell to crack, even when pit against Imperial Stormtroopers. As premier combat, operations, and shock troops, Marines have access to equipment and technology solutions on a virtually unlimited scale. Marines are encouraged to assemble their own kits and custom weapon assemblies, though they are experts in a wide variety of ordnance and weaponry and if called upon, can make do with virtually no logistical support beyond what can be scaveneged locally. See New Republic Marines' Equipment Guide Vehicles Used By Marines Often, the Mechanized Division of GroundOps will be called into service by the corps. See New Republic Marines' Use of Vehicles Guide Uniforms * See New Republic Duty Uniforms for the Standard Marine Uniform. * See New Republic Dress Uniforms for the Marine Dress Uniform. Basic Tactics See 'New Republic Marine Tactics'' Exceptional soldiers and adaptive warriors, Marines excel at virtually all manner of warfighting. Typically deployed as a strategic tactical force supplementing local operations, most Marine deployments are short, brutal affairs that require the dual application of finesse and brute strength. Most frequently they are deployed as a ten-man special operations unit to locales outside Republic jurisdiction, or to locations where an overt military presence would be detrimental. Marines are extremely adapt at penetrating into enemy territory for purposes of reconnaissance or guerrilla warfare, where even a single Marine can wreck unspeakable havoc with the enemy. When deployed in a full-on combat engagement, Marines often form the tip of a fighting spear. Accustomed to operating in ten-man squads, Marine tactics primarily revolve around squad and platoon-based operations. While overwhelming numerical support is preferable, Marines constantly train to combat overwhelming odds and often significantly higher volumes of fire. Marine tactical operations is typified by lightning fast, hard-hitting assaults against 'soft' targets and a high concentration of lethal and accurate firepower. Emphasis is placed on rapid deployment, ambushes, systematic and rapid assault and maneuver, and deep-cover recon into 'secure' zones. Entrenched Marines are almost impossible to dislodge, and a Marine attack force on the move is capable of slicing deep into enemy territory to carve out secure positions even behind OpFor's defensive lines. Elite training, combined with creative, adaptive leadership all the way down to the fire-team level makes Marines highly adaptive combatants and certainly one of the forces to be reckoned with in the Galaxy. Recruiting Joining the Galactic Alliance Marine Corps is no easy feat. Upon enlisting in the Alliance Military, new recruits are initiated into '''Basic Training for physical and mental conditioning just like all Alliance Defense Force recruits. Those who elect to join the Marine Corps will be transferred to a marine training installation following graduation, for training in the specialized skillsets required of a marine. OOC Note: It is assumed that characters have already done all of this by the time they reach their assignment and enter the playable grid. All new characters start off as at least an E-2 (Private First Class). Because of the competitive nature of Marine training and the heavy and rigorous psychological indoctrination all Marines go through- not to mention their prior time in service- we highly discourage characters joining the Marines on a lark, or with the intent to leave the service soon afterwards. Just like in the real world, when you join the Marines, you join for life- it's up to them to decide how much free time you get or not. OOC Information While the Alliance Defense Force is a large, massive organization, we have found it is better for online roleplay if the Player Characters are all a part of one unit. The The 224th Marine Battalion is the "PC Unit" of the Alliance Marine Corps. Inside the batallion, there are only two companies who actually accept players: Alpha Company and Delta Company. The others are NPC (Non-Player Character) companies. Character Generation See 'New Republic Marines Skills Guide''' Contacts * GeneralCarlist Rieekan is the Director of Ground Operations. (''unplayed character) * GeneralKiulo Antilos is the Commandant of the Marines. (unplayed character) * Lt. GeneralRoagen Vakren is the Commander of the 5th Marine Corps (unplayed character) * Lieutenant ColonelMestoph Katar is the Commander of the 224th Marine Battalion. (unplayed character) :For GroundOps contact info, see MUSH Faction/Org Contacts. From SW1ki, a Wikia wiki.